Good News

Energy from the weather

Gavin Pretor-Pinney from Somerset became a Good Energy customer back in 2007 making the switch to 100% renewable electricity.

But Gavin’s not an ordinary Good Energy customer.

For many Gavin is most well known as the founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society, an international community of cloudspotters, which now has nearly 40,000 members from across 106 countries.

Established in 2005, the Cloud Appreciation Society is this year celebrating its tenth anniversary. In that time Gavin has also become a bestselling author, presented a TED talk and has even seen the society discover a new cloud type – “asperitas” – the first new cloud since 1951!

Photo of Asperitas by Gary A Grant

“I started the Society because I know how easy it is to overlook the value and importance of our atmosphere” said Gavin. “Since we live on the ground, we tend to forget that we inhabit the atmosphere – we’re in the sky, not just beneath it.”

Along with his wife Liz, he decided to take his mission one step further by signing up his family home to Good Energy’s 100% renewable electricity tariff over 8 years ago.

“Even back then I saw that choosing an energy provider can be both the most significant and the easiest way to make a big change to the amount of carbon you add into the atmosphere.

“I saw that Good Energy was committed to supplementing its own renewable sites with a growing network of independent generators – from a farmer with a river turbine, to a family with solar panels on their roof – and thought that it was a very sensible way of thinking about the future of power generation.”

Switching is easy

When asked what he would tell anyone thinking of switching to Good Energy, Gavin responded by saying “I’d tell them something that I didn’t know when I switched. If you’re changing from a bog-standard non-renewable electricity tariff, you could reduce your personal carbon footprint by up to 24%! A quarter! Just like that. Plus transferring is completely straightforward and fast.

Good Energy is sponsoring The Cloud Appreciation Society’s ten-year anniversary event, ‘Escape to the Clouds’, which is taking place at the Royal Geographical Society in London on Saturday 26 September.

If you’re interested in switching to Good Energy, give our friendly customer care team a call on 0800 254 000 or get a quote online.

We’re improving our customer services system to give you an even better experience with Good Energy. You can sign up with us as normal and your supply will go live by 30th January. Call us on 0800 254 0004 to find out more.